Epau village in Vanuatu starts afresh with the development of its Climate and Disaster Resilience Plan

The village of Epau in Vanuatu, now has a draft Community Climate and Disaster Resilience Plan and an Action Plan which will guide development in the community. Thirty representatives from Epauon Efate Island in Vanuatu went back to the drawing board to develop its Climate and Disaster Resilience Plan thanks to a joint initiative by SPREP and the Government of Vanuatu through the Vanuatu Meteorology and Geo-Hazards Department, the Vanuatu National Disaster Management Office (NDMO), the Vanuatu Red Cross and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

The village of Epau was severely affected by Category 5 Tropical Cyclone Pam early this year.

The week-long exercise was the first time for the three national partners to come together to build community awareness and raise the level of understanding of community members on weather and climate information through a workshop setting. The Plan was the first of its kind to be developed through an open and consultative process. It was also an opportunity for Vanuatu Met Service to review its Communications and Outreach Program methodology and helped to strengthen the role of NDMO, in the provision of alerts under its National Disaster Plan. Red Cross provides the network to build readiness through Early Warning Systems and preparedness programs.

While strengthening the community Early Warning System and improving weather and climate information products, building community resilience aims for inclusiveness by strengthening and creating new innovative activities that increases community livelihood activities.

A small pilot project will follow to further strengthen its readiness to climate and disaster events in the future.

The workshop in Epau was fully funded by the Government of Finland through the Finland-Pacific (FINPAC) Project on 'Reduced vulnerability of Pacific Island Countries' to the effects of Climate Change'.